Published on 2024-03-08 at 12:21 PM.
Duration: 4 days. Time: May. Average cost per person: 1000 yuan. Companions: Friends. Travel style: Self-driving, self-guided.
This was another spontaneous journey, where three long-time friends seized the opportunity of a trip to Shanghai to embark on a four-day adventure. Having explored most of the local attractions in Jiangsu, we racked our brains during the journey to recall any unvisited sites or places we had forgotten over time. Thus, we decided to visit five destinations: the Beigushan in Zhenjiang, Jinxi Ancient Town in Suzhou, Zhujiajiao Ancient Town in Shanghai, Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, and Maoshan in Zhenjiang. As our trip neared its end, we were invited to Maoshan, where the Taoist abbot promised to personally receive us and showcase the four treasures that protect the mountain. The mystery and allure were irresistible, leaving us no reason to decline.
Day 1: Beigushan, one of the three famous mountains in Zhenjiang, situated near the Yangtze River, is known for its steep and rugged terrain, hence the name Beigushan. It forms a strategic triangle with Jinshan and Jiaoshan, with Beigushan standing out for its imposing and dangerous position in controlling the Chu and Wu regions. The story of ‘Liu Bei’s Marriage Proposal at Ganlu Temple’ during the Three Kingdoms period took place here. The pavilions, towers, and mountain paths are all related to historical legends of the Sun-Liu alliance during the Three Kingdoms era. Ganlu Temple, perched atop the peak, creates a unique ‘temple crowning the mountain’ feature. It is said to have been founded in the first year of the Ganlu era of the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period (AD 265), and despite being rebuilt multiple times, it includes the main hall, the Old Lord Hall, the Guanyin Hall, and the Jiangsheng Pavilion. Although not large in scale, it has considerable fame. Ascending along the ancient path of Eastern Wu, one encounters the fragrant stone, also known as the Stone Sheep, where it is said that Sun Quan sat with Liu Bei to discuss strategies against Cao Cao’s million-strong army. The River Sacrifice Pavilion, with its flying eaves and bracket sets, has an elegant design, also known as the Lingyun Pavilion. It is said that after hearing of Liu Bei’s death, Lady Sun Shangxiang offered a distant sacrifice here and then threw herself into the river. The patriotic poet Xin Qiji of the Southern Song Dynasty, upon climbing this pavilion and seeing the endless Yangtze River flowing eastward, expressed his emotions, criticized the incompetence and complacency of the Southern Song rulers, and did not strive to recover the lost territories of the Central Plains. He wrote ‘Nanxiangzi Climbing Jingkou Beigushan Pavilion with Feelings’ and ‘Yongyule Remembering the Past at Jingkou Beigushan Pavilion’, two timeless masterpieces that express his earnest hopes for the country’s future: Where to look at the divine land, the scenery is full of Bei Gu Lou. How many things have happened over the ages, endless. The endless Yangtze River flows on. Young and wearing a thousand helmets, sitting in the southeast, the war has not ended. Who is the hero of the world? Cao Liu.
To bear a son should be like Sun Zhongmou. The eternal rivers and mountains, heroes are hard to find, where Sun Zhongmou once was. The dance pavilions and singing stages, where the romantic charm is always beaten by rain and wind. The slanting sun and grass and trees, the ordinary alleys, people say that the slave once lived here. Thinking of the past, with golden spears and iron horses, the spirit of swallowing ten thousand miles like a tiger. Yuanjia’s hasty actions, sealing the wolf’s dwelling in Xu, won a hurried look back to the north. Forty-three years, still remembered from the lookout, the beacon fire on the road to Yangzhou. Can it bear to look back, under the temple of the Buddha, a piece of divine crows and drumming. Who dares to ask, Lian Po is old, can he still eat? To the west, to the east, to the north, the water is wide and the sky is high, with the power to swallow the sky and spit out the earth. The world’s first rivers and mountains are said to be from the Three Kingdoms period, when Liu Bei came to the Eastern Wu to recruit relatives, Sun Quan accompanied Liu Bei to watch the river view after the banquet. Liu Bei saw Beigu Mountain towering on the river, the river flowing eastward, a boundless view, majestic, and couldn’t help but praise:Since then, Beigu Mountain has been rightfully called “The World’s First River and Mountain.” Nanxu Jingyu is said to have been at the end of the Western Jin Dynasty when the north was chaotic, and the Eastern Jin Dynasty was based in the south of the Yangtze River, with its capital in Jianye (now Nanjing). At that time, people from the north flocked to the south, and the Eastern Jin Dynasty set up Xuzhou for this purpose, with the state government located in Jingkou (now Zhenjiang). In the Liu Song Dynasty, it was officially named Nan Xuzhou, and since then ‘Nan Xu’ has always been an alias for Zhenjiang. Zhenjiang City in China and Tempe City in the United States have planted friendship trees respectively.
The Iron Tower, also known as ‘Wei Gong Tower’, is an important cultural relic of Beigu Mountain. It is one of the only six iron towers left in China and the only iron tower in Jiangsu Province, and is a provincial cultural relics protection unit. The ancient Ganlu Temple is located on the top of the northern peak of Beigu Mountain. It was built in the Ganlu years of the Eastern Wu Dynasty (265-266), and the temple plaque was written by Zhang Fei himself. In order to commemorate Zhenjiang as the capitalThe thousand-year-old ancient town in the water towns of Jiangnan – Zhujiajiao. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, it gradually formed a small town called Zhujia Village. To the west of the waterway is Dianshan Lake, with Dianpu River running horizontally and Zhumiao River running vertically, connected to the Taihu Lake water system above and directly to the Huangpu River below. The waterway is broad and accessible in all directions. In the 40th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1612), due to the convenience of water transportation and the gathering of commerce, it was once famous for the cloth industry in Jiangnan, known as ‘clothing the world’, becoming a major town in Jiangnan. At the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing dynasties, Zhujiajiao’s rice industry rose, leading to the prosperity of all industries, ‘three miles long street, a thousand shops’, old and famous stores stand, north and south department stores, all industries are complete, business extends to hundreds of miles outside Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, thus there is also the saying ‘three Jin (Zhuji, Fengji, Siji) are not as good as one corner (Zujiajiao)’. Small bridges over flowing water, ancient streets with camphor trees, shops along the street, lanterns on rocking boats, stone slope docks, white walls and black tiles. These elements together form the style and features of an ancient water town. Various tickets and vouchers from the planned economy period. Unfortunately, it started to rain. The streets were washed clean and tidy, and the ancient flavor became even stronger. Yuanjin Zen Temple by the Caogang River. The Caogang River and Tai’an Bridge. Handalong Sauce Garden on North Street, established in 1915. The most famous Fangsheng Bridge is the largest five-arch stone arch bridge in Shanghai. Under the bridge is the Dianpu River. Various delicious foods are in great abundance. There are many such snack shops on the street. Famous grandma’s zongzi, ancient town glutinous rice balls, soy sauce pig’s trotters, and various exquisite pastries can all be tasted here. The rain gradually gets heavier. Tourists either take shelter from the rain or leave. Pedestrians become fewer. After that, go to Shanghai to handle affairs.
Day 3, Tianmu Mountain, known as Fuyu Mountain in ancient times, is reputed as ‘The Big Tree Canopy is Known in Nine States’. It is located in Lin’an District, Zhejiang Province, at the junction of Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. The main peak, Xianren Peak, is 1506 meters above sea level. The name ‘Tianmu’ started in the Han Dynasty. There are two peaks, east and west. There is a pool on top of each peak that never dries up all year round, hence the name. Here is also the largest Weituo Bodhisattva response site in the country. Tianmu Mountain has overlapping peaks and lush ancient trees. There are the perils of strange rocks and the beauty of flowing springs and waterfalls. It is known as the ‘Kingdom of Big Trees’ and the ‘Cool World’. It is a famous place for enjoying the scenery and refreshing the mind in ancient and modern times. ‘Tianmu Mountain has a thousand folds of beauty, and the spiritual mountain is ten miles deep.’ It endows humanity with endless splendid culture and unique natural charm. Prince Xiao Tong of the Liang Dynasty, Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi, Su Shi of the Song Dynasty, and Zhang Yu of the Yuan Dynasty all left beautiful poems and masterpieces handed down through generations. In the Ming Dynasty, more than 100 literati climbed Tianmu Mountain to explore the secluded and strange, chanting and recording their travels, leaving more than 160 poems and essays. Tianmu Mountain is a famous mountain of three religions and a famous historical and cultural mountain integrating Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Prince Xiao Tong of the Liang Dynasty once compiled ‘Selections of Refined Literature’ here. Zhang Daoling, the great master of Taoism in the Western Han Dynasty, was born and cultivated himself here. The ‘Dongyuan Collection’ of the Eastern Han Dynasty called Tianmu Mountain the thirty-fourth cave heaven of Taoism. In the Jin Dynasty, Buddhism entered the mountain. There were once more than 50 temples and nunneries. At its peak, there were as many as more than a thousand monks. It is the birthplace of the rejuvenation of Enyuan Temple of the Rinzai Sect in Japan and has a very wide influence in Southeast Asia. Chanyuan Temple? In history, it was as famous as Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. Surrounded by mountains, the scenery is extremely elegant. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese AggressionThe journey is reminiscent of ‘The Wizard of Oz’, imbued with a sense of primitive desolation. An ancient stone bridge marks the path, flanked by towering trees that stand like sentinels along the millennium-old road. By the roadside, a stone tablet commemorates the ‘Great Tree King’, a tree named by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty during his southern tour to Western Tianmu Mountain. Legend has it that the bark of this tree could cure all ailments, leading to its untimely death in the 1930s as tourists and pilgrims stripped it off. Yet, the Great Tree King, dead for over ninety years, still stands tall and proud, with a new branch sprouting from its withered trunk. Nearby, a stele inscribed by Yu Youren, a Kuomintang member, and a tree once embraced by Zhou Enlai, are significant historical markers. The new Great Tree King, a rising star in the nearby metasequoia forest, is now a unique treasure of China. The ‘Five Generations under One Roof’, the oldest ginkgo tree in the world at 12,000 years, is a contemporary of dinosaurs and known as the ‘Ancestor of Ginkgoes’. It has twenty-two small branches sprouting from its base, a testament to the coexistence of many generations. Kaishan Old Hall, built during the Yuan Dynasty and mentioned in the ‘Commentary on the Water Classic’ by Li Daoyuan of the Northern Wei Dynasty, has a history spanning over 700 years. Inside, it serves as a display hall for Zen culture, featuring an intriguing couplet handwritten by Hu Shi: ‘Speak only as much as the evidence allows, and ring the bell for each day as a monk’. Half-Moon Pond D4-1 Yanshan Park, located to the right front of the international hotel in Liyang, offers boundless scenery. We visited the park for a morning walk, finding the scenery changing with every turn, the curves graceful, and the greenery pleasing to the eye. The artificial waterfall blends seamlessly with the landscape, and the arched flower gate next to the fitness trail adds to the charm. This large park was explored in full, save for the children’s play area.
Maoshan, at the junction of Jin Tan in Changzhou and Jurong in Zhenjiang, is the first blessed land and the eighth cave heaven of Taoism. Rich in historical remains and cultural relics, Maoshan Taoism, with over two thousand years of historical development, regards the Three Mao as its founders and is the birthplace of Shangqing Taoism, known as the ‘Shangqing Altar’. Maoshan is known for its three palaces and five Taoist temples, with the Maoshan New Fourth Army Memorial Hall exhibiting both internal and external pictures and artifacts. The Memorial to the Victory of the Anti-Japanese War in Southern Jiangsu, with statues of Chen Yi and Su Yu, is inscribed by General Zhang Aiping. In April 1938, the Red Army entered the Maoshan area and established the Southern Jiangsu Anti-Japanese base, centered on Maoshan, playing a significant role in the national war of resistance. A unique spectacle occurs when firecrackers are set off at the mountain steps, echoing with the sound of the Red Army’s bugle from the mountaintop. I have visited the Maoshan Scenic Area several times, with this trip primarily to appreciate the treasure of the Maoshan Taoist temple.
Our traveling companion’s cousin, a fellow Daoist, was well-acquainted with the Taoist abbot of Mount Mao, granting us special access to appreciate the treasures of the mountain. We took the scenic area’s electric cart up to the Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace and were invited by a Daoist friend into a rest hall beside the Taoist temple. There, we were served tea and waited quietly for the abbot. After a brief exchange, he used his personal key to open a safe, took out a box, and began to explain each item inside. He concluded by gifting each of us a sachet with a talisman stamped with a jade seal. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhezong’s mother, Lady Meng, accidentally swallowed an embroidery silver needle. The imperial physicians were powerless, and Lady Meng seemed doomed. Zhezong sought talents throughout the country, and the 25th generation master of Mount Mao, Liu Hun Kang, was summoned. He used the secret talismans and elixirs of Mount Mao Taoism to save Lady Meng from danger (the talisman ash, elixir, and thread were mixed with water and taken, and when she vomited, the thread was already threaded through the needle’s eye). Overjoyed, Zhezong deeply appreciated the miraculous medical skills of the Mount Mao Taoist priests and bestowed upon Liu Hun Kang the title ‘Dongyuan Tongmiao Dharma Master’.He was appointed to preside over the Shangqing Chuxiang in the capital, which allowed for direct correspondence with the emperor. Additionally, he was bestowed with gold and silver and granted the Yuanfu Wanning Palace. Following Emperor Huizong’s succession to the throne, he invited Liu Hun Kang back to the capital and bestowed upon him eight treasures. These included the Mount Mao Taoism Nine Elders Fairy Capital Jade Seal, the Heavenly Mandate Earth Day Decree Jade Talisman, the Imperial Bestowed Ancestral Altar Jade Gu, a Har Inkstone, a Xuanhe Imperial Bestowed Jade Target, twelve scrolls of ‘Shangqing Dadong Secret Talismans’, twelve scrolls of ‘Shangqing Dadong Ticket Simplified Words’, and a volume of ‘Liao King’s Poetic Simplicity’. Liu Hun Kang preferred not to stay in the capital and returned to Mount Mao after a year, where these treasures were revered as the ‘Treasures of the Mountain’ by Mount Mao Taoism. Over time, due to successive wars and other reasons, the last four treasures were lost, leaving only the jade seal, jade gu, jade talisman, and Har inkstone preserved in the Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace.
The Jade Seal bears the seal script ‘Jiulao Xian Dujun Yin’ in positive carving and is believed to be made from the leftover jade material of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s imperial jade seal. It is also rumored to be carved from a part of the Warring States ‘He Shi Bi’, with the saying ‘Eat four liang of cinnabar at night, cover a thousand yellow tablets a day’. Zhu Yuanzhang once attempted to reform this seal into the ‘Fengtian Chengyun Wenbao’ jade seal, but after three attempts, the seal still bore the six characters ‘Jiulao Xian Dujun Yin’. In the thirteenth year of Hongwu (1379), the jade seal was returned to Mount Mao.
The Har Inkstone is a jade inkstone that produces water droplets when you exhale on it, which can be used to moisten the brush and form ink. It features two small lines resembling two fish dragons. The most fascinating aspect is that every noon and midnight, the two fish dragons would meet inside the inkstone’s nest, known as ‘Zi Wu Gui Cao’. However, when Zeng Guofan’s son accidentally dropped it on Mount Mao, the top left corner was damaged, and the divine sign of Zi Wu Gui Cao has not appeared since.
The Jade Talisman, also known as the Zhenxin Talisman, is made of white jade and engraved with the seal script ‘He Ming Tian, Di Ri Chi’, which is believed to have the power to expel evil and ensure safety.
The Jade Gu, as the Shangqing altar of Taoism, also known as the ancestral altar jade gu, was only used during ancient rituals to honor the heavens, earth, and Daoist ancestors. This jade tablet measures 34 centimeters in length and features intricate patterns that resemble fluttering bats from afar and soaring dragons upon closer inspection. The middle section appears as if enveloped in mist, while the base resembles layered mountain peaks. The tablet’s hue changes with the seasons, and during spring and autumn, it often seems to sweat.
A photograph was taken at the imperially bestowed Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace, located at the summit of Mount Mao, the highest point and most influential Taoist temple on the mountain. Commonly referred to as the Top Palace, it was granted construction during the Ming Dynasty, during the Wanli era. The imperially endowed Yuanfu Wanning Palace, also known as the Seal Palace, was originally the repository for the mountain’s treasure—the jade seal. Thus, Mount Mao is known for the saying, ‘A stick of incense at the Top Palace, a seal at the Seal Palace.’
Reflecting on the Gate of Wonderful Mysteries, one finds deep mountains, dense forests, beautiful waters, a long history, and a profound heritage. Such encounters are rare, and the joy and wonder are beyond words.
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